One Zombie, Sharing Her Love of all Things Hallyu With The World
Today’s one of those days when no matter how hard I try, I just can’t seem to focus on anything. Instead of getting frustrated over my inability to do anything useful, I’ve decided to embrace my inner sloth, while simultaneously indulge my pathetic need to surround myself with pretty. Lots of pretty, if at all possible. And chocolate. Lots and lots of chocolate… (Yeah, today is definitely one of those days!) Continue reading “My Current Obsession: 7 First Kisses”
I’m convinced the best way to fight off a cold is by overdosing on all things Hallyu. There’s really nothing better for the ailing fangirl than a solid day of drama watching and an overdose of K-Pop cuteness. (Or so I’ve been telling myself the past couple of days as I’ve laid on the couch willing my head not to explode…) Continue reading “TUESDAY’S TEASE: SEVENTEEN, UP10TION and Fantasy Dramas Galore!”
Tuesdays have suddenly become a favorite of mine, mostly because I get to sit here and squee over all of the upcoming K-Dramas and K-Pop comebacks I’m most looking forward to. It’s really a very exciting thing, scouring the internet for all of the goodies that come with comebacks and drama premiers, especially when you come up with a list full of personal favorites. (I feel like I’ve hit the fangirl jackpot or something!) Continue reading “TUESDAY’S TEASE: EXO’s First Sub-Unit, Mermaids and the Whispered Promise of a BIGBANG Comeback”
By now you know I was already up and working before the sun made its appearance so I won’t bore you with that part of my adventures. Instead, I’ll get right to the good stuff aka an incredibly fun, idol-filled Saturday at KCON! Continue reading “KCON 2016: Zombie’s Adventures in LA – Day 4, Part 1”
Taking a cue from this week’s featured drama, I’m stepping back in time to bring you my favorite time-traveling, romantic dramedy, Rooftop Prince. Continue reading “FRIDAY NIGHT DRAMA: Rooftop Prince”
Hello! This is Karen, filling in for Zombie Mamma this week with a new Friday Night Drama: Personal Taste. If you have seen dramas where the main female lead gets mistaken for a man or has to pretend to be a man without actually switching bodies, then you might find the drama, Personal Taste, to be a refreshing perspective on mistaken identity. While the main male actor, Lee Min Ho, who plays Jeon Jin Ho, does not transform into a woman, he is mistaken by a tomboy, main female lead, Son Ye Jin, who plays Park Kae In, to be a gay man. With a business agenda in mind, Jeon Jin Ho does not deny being gay in order to become Park Kae In’s roommate in her beautiful, historical hanok (a traditional Korean home), called Sanggojae. Based on Lee Se In’s 2007 novel of the same name, Personal Taste is a light and fun drama that is sure to charm its audience. Continue reading “FRIDAY NIGHT DRAMA: Personal Taste”
This week brought with it the end of KBS’s most recent romantic dramedy, The Prime Minister and I so naturally, I have to recommend it as the drama to marathon this weekend.
I’ve heard some refer to The Prime Minister and I as the Korean version of The Sound of Music but to me, that’s such a shallow generalization that it doesn’t do either show justice. The Prime Minister and I is the story of a young, gossip rag journalist, Nam Da Jung (YoonA) who finds herself in an absurd scandal with the newly appointed Prime Minister of Korea, Kwon Yool (Lee Beom Soo). 
To save face and grant the drunken plea of a very distraught Nam Da Jung, Kwon Yool agrees to enter into one of my favorite DramaLand tropes, a contract marriage.
While the contract marriage is nothing new in the world of K-dramas, the addition of three children who want nothing to do with a step-mother they know nothing about, is. 
And here, I suppose is where the comparison of The Prime Minister and I and The Sound of Music makes the most sense, as Da Jung and all of her plucky optimism, works her magic and restores the broken relationships between Kwon Yool and his children, as she simultaneously wins each of their hearts. Yes, I’m happy to say that just as Maria won over the hearts of the Von Trapp family, Da Jung is slowly accepted by the Kwon family and the moments she breaks through each of their tough exteriors is absolutely adorable.
Unfortunately, the warm-fuzzies of this show are, in the end, overshadowed by the return of an unexpected character and if you haven’t already watched The Prime Minister and I you may want to stop reading here because I’m about to spoil this big-time for you! If there’s one thing I hate in DramaLand, it’s how often people who were believed to be dead, suddenly come back to life and
unfortunately, The Prime Minister and I falls victim to this overused and exceptionally annoying trope. What bothers me even more is how this person, who thought it best to fake her death and inflict that type of pain on her family, can come “back to life” and suddenly expect to have everything return to normal. But what bothers me, more than anything, is how this particularly selfish and (in my opinion, totally undeserving) individual can get everything she wants while almost everyone around her suffers. Why is it the only person in this drama who doesn’t deserve a happy ending is the only person who gets one? What’s up with that? 
What’s worse, we as viewers aren’t even given the satisfaction of a half-hearted kiss at the end of it all. Oh no! We’re left with a handshake and a smile. A HANDSHAKE! Seriously? I’d take a thousand horribly unenthusiastic lip smooshes (sorry Heartstrings, I’m still not over your ending “kiss”) over a stinking handshake any day!
Personal disappointments aside, I did enjoy The Prime Minister and I. I thought the story moved along at a decent pace, the actors did well in their roles and I was emotionally invested enough by the end to cry through at least half of the final episode (and not because of that stupid handshake). 
As an added bonus, Yoon Si Yoon plays the second male lead, Kang In Ho, and honestly, he’s was enough to have me coming back every week… I couldn’t help it, Si Yoon is just too adorable! If you’re a sucker for adorable second male leads, contract marriages, adorable children and sappy yet infuriating endings, The Prime Minister and I is the drama for you. Happy marathoning!
For those of you who’ve already seen The Prime Minister and I, I’d love to hear what you thought of it. Did you enjoy it? Did you hate it? What was your favorite scene? What did you think of that stupid handshake? As always, I’m more than eager to talk dramas so be sure to leave me a comment below!
Last night brought us the end of one of the most popular K-Dramas of the year, so it’s only fitting that this weekend’s drama to marathon is none other than SBS’s star-studded melodrama, Heirs.
Starring Lee Min Ho, Park Shin Hye, Kim Woo Bin, Kang Min Hyuk, Choi Jin Hyuk, Kang Ha Neul, Krystal Jung, Park Hyung Sik, Choi Won Young, Yoon Son Ha, Im Joo Eun, Kim Ji Won, Kim Sung Ryung, Kim Mi Kyung and Yoon Jin Suh, Heirs follows a group of wealthy, privileged high school kids as they struggle to find themselves and fall in love amidst the pressures and expectations placed on them as inheritors of some of Korea’s biggest companies.
On this (relatively) quiet, cloudy and very fall-ish Friday afternoon, I decided to forgo doing the dishes and actually write a F3 post on Friday *novel idea, I know!* and since I did promise to introduce you to my second favorite J-Rock band and the Granddaddy of all K-Drama’s I better get at it!
This week’s featured artist is the Japanese rock band, MY FIRST STORY. Debuting in April, 2012 with their album My First Story (very original title, I know) the band released their sophomore project The Story Is My Life this past February. I wish I could say these guys’ music was incredibly easy to get your hands on but alas, it’s been quite the chore. 
Maybe it’s because MY FIRST STORY is still a relatively new band, or maybe it’s just because I live on the wrong side of the world (well, at least when it comes to feeding my addiction to Asian music) but I have yet to find a music store (both physical and online) that offers MY FIRST STORY and that’s just sad because these guys are GOOD! If you liked anything I posted in my first 3F blog by ONE OK ROCK, then you’re going to like MY FIRST STORY. MFS has a slightly edgier sound to them (and by slightly I mean, very slightly) so when you’re in that particularly rebellious, “I don’t want to look at you or listen to you anymore” mood (which I find myself in a lot at the moment) these are the boys I turn to, to fuel my rebellious fire. Are these guys actually rebels? I have no idea but the very fact I can blast their music, make myself feel better and annoy the crap out of my in-laws at the same time makes me positively giddy. (And yes, I realizes I now sound like I’m seventeen but I don’t care; it’s just turned into one of those days.) So take a sec to listen and see if these guys really are the bee’s knees.
And now, as promised, I’m going to introduce you to the Granddaddy, the Godfather, if you will, of all K-Dramas…Boys Over Flowers.
Ok, so I don’t really know if I can call BOF the Godfather of all K-Dramas, but it is one of the most talked about and well-known K-Dramas (at least in the world of K-Drama crazies, like myself). I don’t think it’s actually possible to hold any K-Drama conversation (of any substantial length anyway) without making some sort of reference to Boys Over Flowers at some point. *Seriously, it’s just not possible.* Based on the ever-popular manga, Hana Yori Dango, Boys Over Flowers is essentially a modern Cinderella tale, about a spunky poor girl who finds herself caught up in a world of wealth and indulgence so very unlike her own. Starring Gu Hye Sun, Lee Min Ho, Kim Hyun Joon, Kim Bum, and Kim Joon, Boys Over Flowers is one K-Drama, you really don’t want to miss! (Don’t believe me, just read that lineup of actors one more time. Go ahead, I’ll wait…and now that you’ve gotten back up off the floor, I’ll continue. And for those of you who have no idea who any these guys are yet, this is why you need to watch this show…now!)
So that concludes another edition of F3 (I know, I was trying really hard to come up with another “F” word to throw in there just so I could call my Friday posts “F4” but I just didn’t want to go there). Hope you’re enjoying these post as much as I am and are back again next week to see what I come up with next. Until then…happy marathoning! (Oh wait, that’s not what weekends are for???)
Already a crazed K-Drama addict, like myself and walk to talk more? Join me on DramaFever as my fellow Drama Clubbers and I discuss love, fate and time-travel in DramaFever’s Marry Him If You Dare Drama Club. Hope to see you there!